Apple's operations in India likely to create 6 lakh jobs: Report

This highlights the company's significant expansion in the region as it seeks to reduce its reliance on Chinese production.

The Indian workforce for Apple is expected to include 200,000 direct positions by March next year, with women making up about 70 percent of these roles, according to estimates and data provided by the company and its suppliers to the government.

The report quoted sources as saying that Apple's three contract manufacturers in India — Foxconn, Wistron (now Tata Electronics), and Pegatron — have already created 80,872 direct jobs. Additionally, broader suppliers like Tata Group, Salcomp, Motherson, Foxlink (in Tamil Nadu), Sunwoda (in Uttar Pradesh), ATL (in Haryana), and Jabil (in Maharashtra) have collectively added around 84,000 direct jobs, the report said.

Apple has emerged as the largest single creator of blue-collar jobs in India in recent years, with a workforce primarily composed of women and newcomers to the industry, the report further stated.

The report quoted an official as saying, "Overall, Apple vendors and suppliers have created around 165,000 direct jobs since the inception of the smartphone PLI (production-linked incentive) scheme in 2020."

Tata Group's dual facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, is expected to employ around 50,000 people in the coming years. The iPhone production unit, situated adjacent to the group’s enclosure manufacturing plant, is set to start commercial production of iPhones this October. According to the report, the production capacity will be gradually increased over time.